Chris Fleming's March 2 post on the Health Affairs blog reported on ways that experts are advising the government to play a more positive role in preventing childhood obesity:
Kelly D. Brownell, of Yale University, and coauthors call on policymakers at all levels of government to help Americans make healthier choices by regulating food ingredients, labeling, and marketing; and by taxing unhealthy foods and beverages.
Thomas R. Frieden, the new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says reversing the epidemic will require multiple policy changes, including taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages, new incentives to promote healthy crop production, a ban on advertising that fosters bad eating habits, and sustained efforts to increase physical activity among children.
"If we do not act now, the epidemic of childhood obesity will become increasingly difficult to address," says Frieden. "From the federal to the state and local level, in the public and the private sector, from Fortune 500 companies to families around their kitchen tables, there are simple things each of us can do to encourage physical activity, improve nutrition and help our kids live healthier lives. It will take us all working together to meet this challenge."
Labels: causes of childhood obesity, government
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
